Stop! Please. Just Stop. If I hear one more leadership team say that their company’s desire is to build a “Culture of Excellence”, I might just pass out. I know that it sounds good and looks good to use words like Culture and Excellence. When used in team meetings and
The world needs more people who nudge each other. People who call each other out when things are not good AND who lift each other up when things go well. As I travel around the globe and work with various clients, I’ve noticed an alarming trend. There aren’t as many
This article is not about your company’s standards. It’s not about your department’s standards or your team’s standards. This article is not even about what others expect of you. My sole purpose for this article is to write to you…about you. This will be about your own expectations and standards
Habits are not bad. Bad habits are bad. Having daily huddles with your team is a good habit. Learning your customers’ preferences is a good habit. Smiling when you answer the phone is a good habit. Anyone who is in a leadership role must become proficient at cultivating, encouraging, and
I am convinced that one of the biggest problems in organizations is apathy. Even more than negativity. Negativity is obvious, therefore, can be addressed directly. Whereas, apathy can be masked. It can be subtle. Easy to overlook. Apathy can show up in many ways: chronic tardiness, no input in meetings
I was in a hotel gym recently running on the treadmill, and I noticed a man pacing back and forth talking loudly on his phone. He must have made 3 calls in less than 7 minutes. On every call he sounded agitated. After he hung up the last call, he
There were so many times in my career when I should have been fired. No question. Times when it was perfectly logical, reasonable, and justifiable to let me go. Somehow, someway…countless people gave me opportunity after opportunity after opportunity. People believed in me, when I oftentimes gave them no reason
Horst Schulze, who is the former President and COO of the Ritz-Carlton (and one of my biggest influences) always said that rule #1 is to keep the customer. For any organization to be successful, they must become proficient at keeping customers (and not lose them). Keep them happy. Keep them
My friend, Kenny, and I had a great dialogue recently about leadership. While we may not agree on the necessity of leadership, we do agree that far too many people wait to be led by others. Each one of us already has the gifts, drive and experience needed to contribute
Plaques. Pizza Parties. Parking Spaces. The list can go on and on. After all, who doesn’t like to to be recognized and get prizes, right? There are even popular books that give hundreds of ways to recognize your employees. In the quest to provide employee recognition, companies often assume that
Oh, what a privilege it is to serve others. Whether you work in a hotel, restaurant, spa, club, conference center, etc, the purpose is the same: Consistently deliver exceptional service and create memorable experiences for those you serve. That’s it. Treat. People. Well. Everyday. Regardless of who they are, or where they
The Smile. Powerful, yet underrated. Majestic, yet overlooked. The mere mention of the word, smile, makes you want to…smile. You can literally feel someone’s smile; whether it’s in person, or on the phone, or via email. That is how powerful it is. Regardless of whether you smile with your mouth, eyes or
